1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a heating method and an apparatus therefor and more particularly, to a method of heating a road surface and an apparatus therefor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, in previous repair work of roads paved with asphalt concrete, it has been so arranged that, prior to the repair work, the road surfaces are softened through heating thereof by road surface heating apparatuses, each mounted on a vehicle. The known road surface heating apparatuses usually employ, for example, direct flame type burners, infrared burners or radiant heaters.
However, the known road surface heating apparatuses have such inconveniences that, since a plurality of burners are used independently of each other, adjustments of the burners are troublesome and it is difficult to adjust the thermal capability of the known road surface heating apparatuses uniformly according to the site conditions. Meanwhile, the known road surface heating apparatuses that are provided with the direct flame type burners or the infrared burners have been disadvantageous in that there is a difference in the heating temperature between one road surface portion confronting the burners and another road surface portion not confronting the burners and there is a strong possibility that the road portion confronting the burners will emit black smoke due to overheating thereof, thereby resulting in extremely difficult adjustments of the burners.
Furthermore, the prior art road surface heating apparatuses have such a disadvantage that the thermal efficiency for heating the road surfaces is extremely low.